Technical Pens Review

What is a technical pen?

A technical pen is a pen intended for technical drawing for use by engineers, architects and drafters. Technical pens are specialized in creating lines of uniform thickness.

Artists and graphic designers also use these pens for drawing and sketching.

What is Rapidograph?

Rapidograph is the name of a particular technical pen by Rotring Company, which in 1953 was a prototype of the technical pens at that time.

Review for some recommended brands of technical pens:

• Staedtler Pigment Liner
• Copic multiliner SP
• Faber-Castell Ecco Pigment
• Sakura Pigma Micron
• Uni PIN Fine Line
• Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen
• Edding 1800 Profipen
• Pilot Drawing Pen

Pigment Liner technical pen by Staedtler comes in 12 nib sizes, from 0.05mm to 1.2mm.

Indelible, lightfast and waterproof pigment ink.

According to Staedtler, this technical pen can be left uncapped for at least 12 hours without drying.

Pros:

• High quality, lightfast pigmented ink
• Wide variety of nib sizes
• These technical pens can be left with cap off while sketching or drawing
• Caption on the top part of the cap to quickly find the desired size

Cons:

• A bit pricey
• Simple structure

Copic Multiliner SP technical pen comes in 9 nib sizes, from 0.03mm to 0.7mm, and a brush pen.

Filler & nibs for Copic Multiliner SP can be replaced when necessary.

Besides black, these technical pens come in 12 colors.

In addition to the SP model, a non-SP disposable Multiliner technical pen exists, and it is cheaper.

Pros:

• Wide variety of nib sizes
• Refillable
• Replaceable nibs
• Durable non-smearing ink
• A high quality technical pen with a beautiful design and an aluminum body
• Caption on the top part of the cap to quickly find the desired size

Cons:

• Pricey

The Faber-Castell Ecco Pigment technical pen comes in 8 nib sizes, from 0.1mm to 0.8mm.

These technical pens are lightfast, meaning their ink is resistant to fading when exposed to light.

In addition to the black pen, Faber-Castell's technical pens are available in 3 colors: red, green and blue.

Pros:

• Wide variety of nib sizes
• A high quality ergonomic technical pen
• Affordable price

Cons:

• No size caption on the top part of the cap

The Pigma Micron technical pen comes in 6 nib sizes, from 0.2mm to 0.5mm.

These technical pens have a durable ink made of pigments. They are manufactured by Sakura.

In addition to black, these technical pens come in 14 colors for the nib size 0.45mm. Fewer colors for other nib sizes.

Pros:

• High quality, durable pigmented ink
• Affordable price
• Caption on the top part of the cap to quickly find the desired size

Cons:

• Simple structure

The Uni PIN Fine Line technical pens come in 10 nib sizes, from 0.03mm to 0.8mm and a brush pen.

Fade proof and water resistant Ink.

In addition to black, sizes 0.1 and 0.5 come in 5 colors.

Pros:

• Fade proof and water resistant Ink
• Affordable price
• Wide variety of nib sizes
• Caption on the top part of the cap to quickly find the desired size

Cons:

• Simple structure

The Pitt Artist Pen technical pens come in 4 nib sizes: 0.1mm, 0.3mm, 0.5mm and 0.7mm.

Pigmented and lightfast drawing ink.

Pros:

• Affordable price when buying a set of 4
• The ink is water-resistant, permanent, odor-free, acid-free, and pH neutral

Cons:

• Only 4 nib sizes
• Actual size in millimeters not written
• Simple structure

The Edding 1800 Profipen technical pens come in 4 nib sizes: 0.25mm, 0.35mm, 0.5mm and 0.7mm.

Lightfast, waterproof pigment ink.

These technical pens come in 4 colors: black, red, blue and green.

Pros:

• Waterproof pigmented Ink
• Caption on the top part of the cap to quickly find the desired size

Cons:

• A bit pricey
• Only 4 nib sizes
• It is hard to open and close the cap
• Simple structure

Pilot Drawing Pen technical pens are water-based and come in 5 nib sizes: 0.28mm, 0.35mm, 0.4mm, 0.5mm and 0.8mm.

Water-resistant & light-resistant pigment ink.

3 colors to choose from: black, red and blue.

Pros:

• Waterproof pigmented Ink
• Caption on the top part of the cap to quickly find the desired size
• Affordable price

Cons:

• Nib size not written on the pen's body
• Simple structure

There is a large selection of recommended brands for technical pens for drawing, sketching and writing. Some of them are high quality and expensive while others are affordable.

Technical pens are suitable for drawing coloring pages, drawing comic characters and working with coloring markers.

Keep in mind:

• Pressing hard with a technical pen while drawing can scratch the paper sheet and damage it.
• Technical pens have a thin and gentle nib, especially the small sizes, which can bend if pressed hard.
• Some technical pens should be stored horizontally.

More examples for drawing with these technical pens can be found in the how to create depth tutorial.

The technical pen brand review and drawings were made with technical pens owned by the author.